Are You Revival Ready?
As we read in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, those Israelites that returned from Babylon jump-started a revival in Jerusalem that spread throughout the land. Within these two books and several lessons for us living in the 21st Century if we are to be 'revival ready'.
Ezra 8:35 The people who had returned from Babylon gave burnt offerings in worship to the God of Israel. They gave 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, and 12 male goats for a sin gift. All this was a burnt gift to the Lord. 36 Then they let the king's rulers and leaders in the lands on the other side of the River know what the king said for them to do. And they helped the people and the house of God, (point 1).
10:1 Ezra was praying and telling their sins, and crying and lying on the ground before the house of God. Many people, men, women and children, gathered around him from Israel, for the people cried with many tears. 2 Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, "We have not been faithful to our God ….(point 2). 3Let this be done by the wise words of my lord and of those who shake with fear at the Word of our God. 4 Get up, for this is your duty, but we will be with you. Have strength of heart and do it." 5 So Ezra got up and made the head religious leaders, the Levites and all Israel promise that they would do as he had said, and they promised.
Neh 2:17 Then I said to them, "You see the problem we have. Jerusalem lies waste and its gates are destroyed by fire. Come, let us build the wall of Jerusalem again, that we may no longer be put to shame." 18 I told them how the hand of my God had brought good to me, and the words that the king had spoken to me. Then they said, "Let us get up and build." So they put their hands to the good work, (point 3).
From Ezra 8, we see Ezra was not going to do it on his own but needed help. We need personal revival but as part of a bigger movement of like-minded people moving in the same direction.
Revival required repentance. In this specific situation there had been activities going on of a carnal nature that need to be cut off. The people were doing things they had been specifically told time and again not to do. I am sure there are areas of each of our lives and /or our families where that might strike a chord.
Nehemiah was called to rebuild the stone city of Jerusalem. We have been called to build together the living stones that are the members of the Christian community. We are all called to build one church in Derby
The task for Nehemiah was one of getting everyone involved and taking personal responsibility. That is so true for we that make up the church and are part of the wider church in the city.
There must be personal sacrifice if we are to see revival. Not of livestock but of ourselves. We were reminded recently about the problem with living sacrifices – that they keep crawling off the altar. We must be on our guard against allowing the world to invade our thinking. There is a creeping move away from biblical teaching by some denominations and we must resist this at all costs if we are to be in pursuit of God's ideal for our city.
We can consider and pray these issues as we go into this week's 20:20 prayer, praying for personal revival and that of our city, nation and world.
